“If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner.” Those words were penned by British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge who understood the grave implications of taking God out of the equation of life.

To satisfy our deepest yearning for true meaning and purpose, people look elsewhere. Sooner or later, people find themselves engulfed in the sea of power, wealth, and pleasure in their forlorn hope to create ‘success.’

In Robert McGee’s “The Search for Significance,” he explores fundamental thoughts virtually all of us toyed with at some point in life. When I fail at something, I feel lousy about myself…When others don’t approve of me, I can’t seem to get over it…Sometimes it feels like I’ll never measure up .

McGee dismantles this universal lie that triggers self-doubt, robbing us from true joy in life. The author offers that the search for significance is about seeing your truth worth through God’s eyes. That is, “our true value is based not on our behavior or the approval of others but on what God’s Words says is true of us.”

McGee simplifies the condition many of us live in today which I’ve also been subjected to during my adolescence:

Self-worth = Performance + Other’s Opinions

Most of us believe this, at least partially.

The Search for Significance identifies four false beliefs of our day and applies accurate biblical truths to show how to correct our thinking and mindset.

The Performance Trap –“I must meet certain standards to feel good about myself.”

Those who struggle with “The Performance Trap” have a fear of failure, perfectionism, manipulating others to achieve success; they can also cowardly withdraw from healthy risks. God’s answer to “The Performance Trap” is His justification. This means God has not only forgiven me of my sins but also has granted me the righteousness of Christ, therefore I am pleasing to the Father. At my very essence, as a son of God, I am good enough. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Approval Addict – “I must be approved by certain others to feel good about myself.”

The person who is “The Approval Addict” fears rejection and is oversensitive to criticism; they will withdraw from others to avoid disapproval. God’s answer to this false belief is reconciliation. This means that although I was one time hostile toward God and alienated from Him, I am now forgiven and have been brought into an intimate relationship with Him. Consequently, I am totally accepted by God (Col 1:21-22)

The Blame Game – “Those who fail (including myself) are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.”

Those who suffer from the “Blame Game” fear punishment. They also try to punish others, and their drive is to avoid failure. God’s answer to this problem is propitiation which means that that by His death on the cross Christ satisfied God’s wrath; therefore, I am deeply loved by God (John 4:9-11)

Shame – “I am what I am. I cannot change. I am hopeless.”

Those who suffer from “Shame” is marked by feelings of hopelessness. Shame is also marked by inferiority, passivity, and loss of creativity, isolation, and withdrawal from others. . God’s answer for shame is regeneration, which means that when we place our faith in Christ we become a new creation.

John 3:3-6 says, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

The Search for Significance is a liberating book that will take lots of energy resurfacing the past baggage in life, but going through this process will be one of true inestimable healing and edification.

Question: What false beliefs have you lived with that prevented you to live a life of significance?